NYU Black Renaissance Noire Summer/Fall 2010 | Page 19
Mina comes back freshly combed. Layla, night, lifts out of
the spent crumbling daylight and we get ready to depart to
the ganawa ceremony. Her mother throws on a yellow and
purple striped jellaba. Mina slips into a black one and glides
down the stairs, ?apping her arms like wings of a giant
black raven. We walk on the street as if the sidewalk does not
exist. Moroccans have this habit of walking on the streets as
if challenging the cars and competing for their space. I notice
holes in the street with no signs indicating that men work
in these 6 to 8 feet drops. It could be very challenging to walk
happy-go-lucky when you suddenly step and drop down
who-knows-into-what worms and insects, or gushing water,
some pipe being repaired and bursting to greet you. It would
take the help of another person to get out.
I walk between Amina and her mother. They make me repeat
in prayer:
18
Ashadu ana lailaha la Allah Ashadu Ana Al Allah ilaha, waena
Mohamet rasulu Allah.
A horse driven cart full of tangerines pulls in front of us. Mina
calls out to the man, shuf, which means ‘look’. She picks up
two kilos to take with us and they turn out to be the sweetest
tangerines I have ever tasted. Munching on citrus, we cross
a broad boulevard with buildings in front of us that remind
me of the New York City projects, except that they are not
built of red bricks but grayish-white cement. Horse-shoe tunnels
divide the structures and lead to the ne ? ?Y] ?]] ????[? ?[??\??H[?\? ??Y??H? [H[? ?YH H??[[?[??? H?\?]?[ [?H?]\?Y[?????[?[? ?[??K ^Z[?? ?[\?[??Y?Y][X??\?[?] ??] [?????\? ?H??X?B?H ?Y?ZY?]? H ? ?Y] H\??]\???Z[?\???Z[?[?H [??[?H?^H ?]??\???\?]\?[??? \?[?? ? B?[?H???H?\? ?? ?[?[ ??[?]???][??[?[?? [?B?Z[??H] H[? ?[??H ? H?Z[[??[??[??H??Y?[??\?]?\?]?\?K??[ H?\? ? ?];? ?\?[??^Y\?H ?^H????[??\?Y? ^H\?H?????[?? ?{? ?? \??[YH ?\?[???] ?Y[??[K??H ?[? \H;? ?Y? ? ?Z\?? ? H?\?H??ZYKB???Y[??Z[?H[?\?[?\??H???[?? ?[?B???[[?[?[?H ?[??H HX]? H???Y\\?Y[?\?Z[?H[?\?[?\? ?[ ]H [?HY?[? ?Y? ?H ?[ ?\?H?[??]??H ?]K[??????[?Y] ?X? ] \??? ? ?XY??\?H ?]H ??K??ZYH\??X??[?\?Y? \?\??[??Y????\??X?Y?\???^ ?\??H [ ?YH?H H\?H[??Z?\?YH ? H?^ ???H ?\?H[ HY[? ?][?H?\??H??H;? ????]\? [? ]H ?X[^?H ] \?HY? H?Y[????Y[?[? H?\? ???K???YH? HY[?\?H ?[??[???Y???H[H[? ?? X?Y ?] ^H[[ ?XY H??? ]H[H???[????[???\?Z?H[? H ?X[ ???? Y\???X?? [?B?\?H [?X??]]?\?][?? ][?\?[? ^H]\?]?B?X\?] ??Y?????\[?Z[? X\? ]HX[?\? ?\?][?????H ??YH?\?\?[?[? ]H\??Y[?X???[[?]Y?][Z[?x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